When you are just starting out, the hardest thing about street photography is getting up the nerve to take photos of strangers. My first tip is to take photos of people who don't mind the attention and my second tip is to try taking photos at public events like demonstrations.

When I was in New Orleans, I conducted an experiment in street portraiture. My goal was to ask 10 random strangers if I could take their portrait. Guess what? People are pretty nice.

In Paris, there is never a shortage of public events. The 2009 Techno Parade became the subject of several posts. Earlier in the day, a bus stop told quite a story. By the end of the day, things got a little more dangerous. My "10 seconds at the Paris Techno Parade" captured an adrenaline-filled experience. At the end of 2010, I decided to do a full write-up for JPG magazine and the essay was featured as story of the week for the first week in 2011. I think that essay best captures what I felt in the moment.

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About Me

I am a father of three, a professor, a photographer, a distractable dilettante, an unrepentant but well-intentioned maverick, an idea man who thinks when he should be sleeping, and a people person who can't seem to remember anyone's name.

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Feel free to use any of my photos from takeoutphoto (but not those of my guests) for any purpose that is not commercial in nature (such as your blog) as long as you show respect and link back to my site.